211 owners in the North East?

[steveavxt]

I've been looking these lately and would like a quick look at one and possible a ride out if possible so I can get a better idea of what I'm getting myself into. I've there are any local owners I'd be happy to buy you a few pints for a look and a chat.

Thanks

Steve

[zebra]

Steve

Gav Kirby used to drive one in LOT, you could try contacting him.

Think he may be on Facebook. Alternatively, F1 used to look after his 211, so they may able to contact him for you.

Not sure if he still has the car.

Your other option is to try SELOC _ Staphanie Plum has one, although she isn't NE but may know other owners.

[ad243S]

I sent Gav a message last night with a link to this thread.

You might also want to try the Lotus Owners North East www.loneuk.co.uk

[steveavxt]

Thanks for your help. I'm torn between a 245 Atom and a SC 2-11 at the moment. I've been out on track in an Atom but not in a 2-11.

[RobM77]

zebra said:

Your other option is to try SELOC _ Staphanie Plum has one, although she isn't NE but may know other owners.

She sold it to me last year We're both in the south though I'm afraid (she's Surrey and I'm in Hampshire). I'm more than happy to show anyone the car and give them a passenger ride, either on the road or on track. I've no plans to travel to the North East though.

SP knows more than me about the cars, being heavily involved with the club and having done 20k miles in her/my 2-11, so she'd be a good contact I'd have thought. Just for starters though if it helps:

They're very different to any standard Elise and Exige to drive - everything's lighter and more delicate, they feel noticeably faster in a straight line (excluding the Exige V6 of course) and more agile in the corners. It felt much more race car (Radical, Sports 2000) like to drive to me than other Lotuses. It's significantly safer than a Caterham (or probably an Atom), which was a big attraction to me having had two Caterhams before. Those are the pros - how about the cons? Well, if you're willing to drive without a helmet and just with eye protection, the only annoyances compared with an Elise/Exige would be the much stiffer ride, inability to do anything but crawl over speed bumps (if they're small!) and the lack of roof in the rain. Oh, and getting in and out I guess, but it's never bothered me or my fiancée. The side and three quarter visibility are also pretty poor to due to the low seat, roll cage and harnesses, but this is similar to a Caterham with harnesses, or the 3/4 visibility in an Exige for example. The helmet issue is very personal (snigger), but it's worth pointing out that the headrest built into the standard seat (from an Exige) is a bit too far forward for helmet use, so you end up staring at the ground rather than where you're going - that does actually annoy me quite a bit, but I love the car so I'm happy to live with it. There's also no luggage space at all, so whatever stuff you take to track days (pressure gauge, pump, food, water etc) has to be stuffed into the cockpit. The car gets a huge amount of attention on the road, but none of it so far has been negative.

In terms of running costs the insurance is a little higher and the softer tyres (as used as an option on the Exige) need replacing more often than the standard fit Yokos on an Elise or Exige, and are also more expensive. It's a bit harder to work on than an Elise or Exige too - the width of the car and inset of the jacking points mean I can't jack it up in my garage, and oil changes are complicated by the accusump unit (which mine has - not sure if it's standard or not) and extra filters.

For me it was a more appropriate track day and very occasional road use car than the Elise, and if those are your requirements then go for it. If you want regular road use though, then I think an Elise SC or Exige S with some Lotus developed track options may be more appropriate.

[steveavxt]

That's a great write up, thanks. I'm coming to the 2-11 (and it's direct competition) from a 300bhp VX220 which I have modified over the years to become a great track car and therefore a not so great road car. As a replacement I'm looking for something a bit more suitable for mainly track and the odd warm day run out. The roof thing doesn't bother me too much as I never drove the VX220 in the wet anyway and I will be trailering the car to track days.

One thing I liked about the VX was the fact I could wear a regular seat belt for road driving and a harness for track. I do think having to wear a harness all the time and the associated limitation on visibility will take some getting used to but I'll survive

Good to know about the jacking points.

Cheers

Steve